All posts by meldahshoury

Final Projects, News

Fear For Their Families, Friends and Futures: UGA Students on the Executive Orders on Immigration

For first-year Public Health major Aya Mansour, the idea of having her extended family come visit her in Athens was a dream she knows can’t become a reality anytime soon.

“As a Syrian who has family trying to leave Syria, this ban diminished my hopes of ever being able to see them again,” Mansour said, shaking her head at the idea of never seeing her 76-year-old grandmother again who’s been denied a visa on multiple occasions.

She’s referring to the executive orders on immigration issued by President Trump on Jan. 25 and March 6. The bans have interrupted the lives of those with student visas, those with family in the six countries on the banned list, and thousands more across the country.

The first executive order on immigration imposed a 90-day travel ban on seven countries – Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen – and denied all admission of Syrian refugees. The revised executive order, released in early March, removed Iraq from the list and put a 120-day hold on the Syrian refugee admissions program.

International students originate from 124 countries, four of which are on the banned list. Seven undergraduate students and 56 graduate are from Iran, and two graduate students are from Somalia and Sudan, respectively. Another undergraduate student is from Iraq, but the country has since been removed from the list of countries restricting temporary travel.

Although no University of Georgia students were immediately affected, many were troubled by the apparent lack of support from the administration and feared for future repercussions for their families. The university issued a statement following the first executive order on Jan. 25 to declare its intent to monitor the situation and provide assistance should anyone have questions or concerns. Other universities, such as the University of Michigan, issued statements saying it was against their policy to voluntarily share any information regarding the status of their international students. Only a subpoena would force them to do so.

The president of UGA, Jere Morehead, released a follow-up message after the school received backlash after the first statement was released to “express [his] strong and unwavering support for [the university’s] international faculty, staff, and students.” Unsatisfied, students, faculty, and local Athens community members spoke up against the executive orders by hosting a March for Immigrants on Feb. 3 from the Tate Plaza to the UGA Arch. Participants, such as fourth-year International Affairs major Mehreen Karim, said it’s “really about [her] community, not [her].”

But to some, statements and protests aren’t enough to erase their fears. Adnan Al-Atassi, a third-year Management and Information Systems major whose parents originate from Syria, said his friends and family are concerned for the future and the uncertainty the orders bring. As cited in the New York Times, “nearly 40 percent of colleges are reporting overall declines in applications from international students,” with the biggest decline coming from Middle Eastern countries. More graduate programs have seen a decline in applications than undergrad, a number that aligns with the University of Georgia’s 2-to-1 international graduates to undergraduates’ ratio.

“I have family who have canceled trips here because they are afraid of changes the administration will make while they are in the country,” Al-Atassi, who was born in Jeddah, said. “I also have friends overseas who were top of their class who are opting to go to Europe instead of going to school in the U.S.”

 

The ban, Al-Atassi continued, “alienates people.” And he’s right. The ban targets primarily Muslim-majority countries with no basis for its claims to protecting our national security. The countries on the list are not more likely to produce terrorism, as some may claim, than other countries around the globe. For example, the terrorists who hijacked the planes on September 11, 2001 were from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates, none of which are on the list for the travel ban.

First-year Biology major Linda Sghayyer agrees. In a short documentary titled “Dear Mr. President: What Muslim Youth Want President Trump to Know,” Sghayyer talks about how banning Muslims overseas doesn’t only affect them, but the Muslim community as a whole and the impact it has on families.

“By banning some Muslims from coming here, you’re like, not only affecting them, you’re affecting us,” Sghayyer said. “Imagine if you could not see your daughter because of your religion.”

Luqman Elrifadi, a first-year International Affairs major with dual Libyan and American citizenship, said he and his brother may not be here had their parents immigrated sooner from Libya.

“My parents were accepted into America in the ‘90s as political refugees,” Elrifadi said. He took it as a “personal insult” not only to himself but to his extended family and “all oppressed peoples who found safety and security in America.”

Even before the orders were issued, students were reported by The Intercept to have had their student visas revoked after traveling abroad over the winter break. More than 16,600 students in the U.S. were affected by the ban, according to the the Institute of International Education. Many were unable to board flights back home after trips and others were detained in airports upon their arrivals. More than 100 cases had been filed around the world a day after the ban went into effect, News Week reported. Hundreds of lawyers signed up with agencies across the country to volunteer their time and services to aid the thousands affected by the ban and hundreds more showed up on their own accord to provide pro bono services.

College is tough enough without the impending fear of being barred from re-entry into a country one may temporarily call home. The temporary blocks on the bans may be effective for the time being, but if another executive order is issued or the timespan for the block is up, there’s no telling what may lay in store for students, travelers, refugees, and hundreds of thousand innocent civilians looking to come across our borders.

“This is the land of peace and freedom,” Mansour stated. But with this ban, she concluded, clearly we’ve “been proven wrong.”

MOTS, News

Athens residents have become more politically active, according to poll

In light of the executive order on immigration implemented by the new administration, many now feel as though they are more politically active, according to an informal poll of University of Georgia students and local Athens residents conducted last week by JOUR 3190.

Katie Morgan, a second year student who says she has not become more politically active

While they may feel politically engaged now, not all of those interviewed felt the same way during the election. Of the 12 people interviewed, three did not vote in the recent presidential election.

“If I actually want to vote and make an impact, I want to have information to vote,” said Amelia Grace Wolfe, a 19-year-old student from Augusta. She did not vote in the presidential election because she was out of town and missed the deadline to fill out an absentee ballot.

Another interviewee, Ike Astuti, a 35-year-old student from Indonesia, did not vote because she is not an American citizen. Although not immediately affected, Astuti thinks it is common to see disagreement among the political parties but believes both need to come from a place of understanding.

All interviewees said they were either at the same level of political consciousness or more aware than they had been prior to the election.

“I have definitely continued to monitor the election since it has happened,” said Robert Poole, a 25-year-old law student from Marietta. Poole believes he is generally more aware because he is a law student.

The same three people who did not vote also claim to not be more politically active. Others, such as sophomore Keaton Law, are participating in demonstrations against the actions taken by the new administration.

Law, a history and political science major, said he attended the March for Immigrants at the UGA Arch on Feb. 3 and the protest against the executive order on immigration at the Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta on Jan. 24.

“It’s a good thing for people to rally around what they believe in. It’s important to challenge what you oppose,” Law said.

Many were aware of the demonstrations against the new administration, but some, such as Stephen Tyler, a 24-year-old Athens resident, were only aware of them either as they were happening or after.

Stephen Tyler, a 24-year-old Athens resident who says the demonstrations are a good way to raise awareness

Tyra Roberts, a sophomore finance major, said, “Prior to this election, I feel like a lot of people weren’t really engaged in politics but I think we’re realizing if we don’t use our voice and actually speak out, this is what can happen.”

Roberts is referring to the executive order on immigration, banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries.

Students conducting the interviews posed five questions to determine who voted in the presidential election, whether they were more politically aware, more politically active, were aware of demonstrations against the administration, how they felt about them and if they participated in any.

Although a majority of those interviewed were in favor of the protests, some said they were a bit skeptical.

“Demonstrations are great, but they lose their purpose if they don’t cause any actual change,” Riley King, a 25-year-old Athens resident said. He does not participate in any demonstrations.

Likewise, Eloise Rodgers Hancock, a 65-year old Athens resident, believes that although people have the right to protest peacefully, they should keep demonstrations “cool, calm, and collected.”

Backgrounder, News

Memorial Park: A brief history

Memorial Park, a historic landmark in Athens, Georgia, has served as a backdrop for medical patients, annual traditions and occasional tragedies for over 50 years.

Settled in the Five Points neighborhood, Memorial Park is one of the most popular places in Athens for families because of its amenities. The park contains a swimming pool, a lake, the Birchmark Trail and Bear Hollow Zoo.

In the 2013 article “A Five Points Treasure for Fifty Years,” Charles Rowland explained how the park was first established as a sanitarium in 1924 but was later transformed into a park for children and families in 1945. One of its first buildings, a hospital called Fairhaven, was renovated into a theater and now hosts programs and performances.

“The building’s renovation was carefully done to allow for modern improvements that will ensure the place continues to be used while it still retaining some of its historical integrity,” Rowland wrote.

According to a 2015 article in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Memorial Park holds an annual Memorial Day festival where “re-enactors dress in authentic uniforms and equipment to portray soldiers from ancient Romans to Texas Rangers.”

Georgia Heights on Twitter: “Commemorate Memorial Day at Athens Memorial Park on Monday, May 30 from 1pm – 3pm. Don’t miss out! #GeorgiaHeights pic.twitter.com/iVO4wddJtv / Twitter”

Commemorate Memorial Day at Athens Memorial Park on Monday, May 30 from 1pm – 3pm. Don’t miss out! #GeorgiaHeights pic.twitter.com/iVO4wddJtv

Not all events associated with the park have been positive. In 2008, a woman named Cayle Bywater went missing at Memorial Park and, two weeks later, her body was recovered from the lake at the park, according to the Augusta Chronicle. Bywater seemed “to [not] have been the victim of violence.” The case was ruled an accidental drowning and a memorial service was held in her honor at the park on Jan. 20, 2007.

As the first park in Athens, “[Memorial Park] remains a special treasure for Five Points,” Rowland wrote.

Uncategorized

Chapter 5 Exercise

My hometown of Alpharetta is discussing a multitude of topics: the Falcons, new job postings, and a story of a middle school girl found safe after she had been missing for a few days.  The tweets about the Falcons and the job postings don’t surprise me; we’re so close to Atlanta, sports and jobs are bound to be the subject of attention. The story of the girl did, however, take me off guard. It’s good to hear she’s safe, but we usually don’t have cases like this.

Uncategorized

Apartment Fire Exercise

On Thursday night, almost half of the units in Windfair, an apartment building on the east side of Athens, were completely destroyed in a fire.

According to Captain Mary Smith, no one was injured but 25 renters will be displaced. The source of the fire, she said, is still being investigated, but they “do not suspect foul play.”

Smith said firefighters arrived at the complex at 9:05 PM. “Flames were bursting through the roof and residents were gathered outside on the sidewalk, she said.

Thomas Jones, a Windfair resident of three years, does not have renter’s insurance. “I have lost everything. I am not sure what I will do next,” Jones said.

Many residents are also pet-owners, and like Jones, were able to rescue their furry friends. A few, however, are still missing.

Uncategorized

The Art of Splinter-Removing

Spending the past twelve summers at camp is bound to teach you the art of removing splinters, Caroline Harty says, as she’s had to deal with tons of kids running barefoot on the docks.

“The secret is to squeeze, pinch or use a needle,” Harty said, “and don’t let the kids see what you’re doing.”

The removal of the splinter is supposedly a much less painful task than calming the kids down.

Contributors

Sehar Ibrahim

Sehar Ebrahim is a sophomore from Atlanta, Georgia studying Public Relations. She has a large family – two sisters, and many cousins from her mother’s three siblings and her father’s four. Like many other UGA students, Sehar enjoys watching sports, specifically football. Her interest in the sport encouraged her to take an internship with the Atlanta Falcons, where she currently works in the Communications Department and plans to continue with them in the coming years if she’s not traveling the globe. She tweets at SeharEbrahim.